This is Not How Partners Should Act
by HintofGrace
Summary: Typical Thursday night inside Booth's head. One shot.


_Legal lines: I own no I.P. to Bones the television show or any of the character associated with it. _

Booth strode purposefully into Brennan's office. His mind was on his empty stomach. They had just wrapped up a case. He came to a halt just inside her door. Bones was busy with her notes, with an intense look of concentration on her face, and a slight crease between her brows. _God, she's beautiful._ He shook his head, trying to erase the thought from his cluttered mind. _Damn it, Booth, she's your partner. Focus. Food…_  
"Come on Bones, its six o'clock. Even you have to eat." Brennan looked up from her paperwork, seemingly annoyed. Booth loved to see her eyes flashing, even when she was annoyed with him.  
"Sorry Booth, not tonight." She looked meaningfully at her watch, "Its Thursday, I have Karate tonight." Booth's face fell, defeated. Brennan packed up her paperwork and stood to leave.  
"Well, how about after Karate? You have to eat sometime… I'll bring Thai food. When have you ever turned down Thai food?" He flashed his charm smile at her. _When did I get so desperate to eat dinner with a girl? No, a woman... Yes, she's definitely one hell of a woman. _He blinked a few times trying to erase yet another inappropriate thought.  
"I suppose." she sighed, "I should be home by ten."  
Booth clapped his hands, "Ten it is." He turned on his heals and marched smartly out of her office.

At exactly ten o'clock, Booth knocked on Brennan's door. No answer. Again, he knocked. The door swung open, Brennan stood there, hair still wet from the shower, in a black tank top and a pair of light blue pajama pants with skeletons on it. _Oh my God! What I would give to slide those... no wait! Partner. Lines. Do not cross. _  
"Sorry, I couldn't hear the door." Bones said, pointed towards her bathroom. Booth smiled at her.  
"Nice pants there, Bones. You really didn't have to get all dressed up for me." He gave her a wink.  
Brennan blushed, "Angela gave them to me for my birthday…"  
"Well, they're very, uh, you." He handed her a bag of Thai food. "I brought you your favorite! Pad Thai. And, I brought some wine and a movie. I think you'll like it." He pulled out a copy of _Arsenic and Old Lace. _  
"I know that movie! Frank Capra directed that!" Brennan exclaimed with a smile.  
"Good, then you'll watch it with me."  
Brennan grabbed two plates while Booth put the movie in.

Brennan finished her dinner laid down on her couch, her head resting on Booth's leg. Booth smiled down at her, _she looks so happy, _he thought, _so relaxed, peaceful and beautiful_. He rested his hand on her shoulder. He felt her lean into his touch, and again, he glanced down at her. _Did she just? Could she? No! Lines. We have lines, she agreed to lines. We discussed lines, and they are there, the lines…_ Her face hadn't changed expression nor did she look back at him. _I must have imagined that. It's Bones. Ol' Bones. Pretty Bones. My Bones. _ Booth shut down that thought by allowing himself to get pulled back into the movie.

The movie finished and Booth looked down at Brennan. She had fallen asleep. Again, Booth marveled at how peaceful she looked. Watching her sleep, he felt free to notice things about her, without worrying about her catching him stare. The shape of her face, how her skin looked like fine porcelain.  
_She's so beautiful,_ he though as he watched her. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. She sighed lightly, snuggling closer. He smiled down at her. _This is not how partners act, _he thought, _Bones is just my partner. I've had partners before. I played basketball with them. I watched the Penguins with them. I've barbequed with them. I did not cuddle on the couch while watching a movie with them. I cannot cross that line. That damn line. How many times have we already crossed it? How many times have we done this? Do partners kiss under mistletoe? Does a one partner bring the other partner a Christmas tree to prison, so that they can have a "family Christmas?" I've killed to protect her, I've put my job on the line to protect her. I'd die to protect her, hell, I almost did! And I would do it again…_ Again, he touched her face. _Yeah, this is not how partners should be._ Gently, he lifted her head of his leg and stood up. Without disturbing her, he picked her up. Her head crated on his shoulder, he carried her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. After tucking her in, he lingered, looking down at her sleeping form. She had rolled onto her side, her hand curled under her cheek. She looked so vulnerable and young at that moment. With everything she's been through in her life, for her to have not awoken while being carried to bed demonstrated her complete trust in Booth. He knelt down beside her bed and, swept her bangs to the side, and kissed her forehead.  
"Damn it, Bones," he whispered, "why is it that of all the people in the world, you're the one I fell for? The only girl I can't have." Again he kissed her forehead. "I love you, Bones." He stood up and left. As he closed the door, he thought he heard "I love you, too" from behind him. When he turned around, Brennan hadn't moved. He chuckled to himself, closing the door. _Always the optimist, aren't you, Seeley?_

Brennan heard the latch on the door click. She opened her eyes wide and rolled onto her back, touching the spot on her forehead_.  
_"I love you, too" she murmured again. _This is definitely NOT how partners act. The lines…they were his idea, the lines…_

Author's notes: Thank you to Bananabehr for reading this first.


End file.
